Global Vectra loses chopper license
8 May 2012 4:04 AM GMT
The aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has suspended the operating permit of private helicopter firm Global Vectra Helicorp Limited, whose promoter Ravi Rishi is under the CBI scanner in the controversial Tatra truck deal with the army. Millennium Post reported on Monday that India’s external intelligence agency RAW had sent an advisory to the old major ONGC not to have any dealings with Global Vectra because of its suspected associations with anti-national elements.
‘Their permit has been suspended,’ official sources said on Monday, days after the home ministry withdrew its security clearance and recommended to the civil aviation ministry to annul the non-scheduled operator permit (NSOP) of the company.
A top civil aviation ministry official said that the home ministry’s decision and the direction was forwarded to the DGCA late last week. The suspension of the NSOP will lead to grounding of the entire chopper operations of the company and affect the oil and gas industry.
With a fleet of 23 choppers, the company flies onshore and offshore operations for oil companies, besides catering to tourist travels in the Northeast and operating chopper flights to major shrines, like Vaishno Devi and Amarnath. Oil companies, which have operating platforms on the high seas, depend on the services of players like Global Vectra and the state-run Pawan Hans Helicopters Limited to shuttle engineers and other staff to the oil rigs and back.
The civil aviation ministry sources said that there could be some temporary impact on the operations of the oil firms but they could switch over these operations to other service providers.
Pawan Hans, which has 45 helicopters, could operate additional flights to meet the vacuum created by the suspension of Global Vectra’s operations, they said, adding that the ministry had already held consultations with Pawan Hans on the issue.
Rishi and the Vectra Group is being investigated by the CBI in connection with the sourcing of Tatra trucks to the Indian army.
‘Their permit has been suspended,’ official sources said on Monday, days after the home ministry withdrew its security clearance and recommended to the civil aviation ministry to annul the non-scheduled operator permit (NSOP) of the company.
A top civil aviation ministry official said that the home ministry’s decision and the direction was forwarded to the DGCA late last week. The suspension of the NSOP will lead to grounding of the entire chopper operations of the company and affect the oil and gas industry.
With a fleet of 23 choppers, the company flies onshore and offshore operations for oil companies, besides catering to tourist travels in the Northeast and operating chopper flights to major shrines, like Vaishno Devi and Amarnath. Oil companies, which have operating platforms on the high seas, depend on the services of players like Global Vectra and the state-run Pawan Hans Helicopters Limited to shuttle engineers and other staff to the oil rigs and back.
The civil aviation ministry sources said that there could be some temporary impact on the operations of the oil firms but they could switch over these operations to other service providers.
Pawan Hans, which has 45 helicopters, could operate additional flights to meet the vacuum created by the suspension of Global Vectra’s operations, they said, adding that the ministry had already held consultations with Pawan Hans on the issue.
Rishi and the Vectra Group is being investigated by the CBI in connection with the sourcing of Tatra trucks to the Indian army.
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